Inspired Insider With Dr. Jeremy Weisz | Ecommerce Interviews | Entrepreneurship | Inspirational Stories | Business Lessons

Today we have Tom Kulzer founder of AWeber.They are one of the top email marketing providers on the planet and help over 100,000 businesses build their audience. They started all the way back in 1998. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [1:30] Jeremy introduces his guest, Tom Kulzer. [2:15] Tom talks about the culture he’s created at AWeber. [7:00] The lowest moment in the journey so far. [9:00] Milestones that Tom is proud of. [10:00] Tom talks about how AWeber has impacted client businesses. In this episode… Have you ever worked in an environment that sapped your morale? How long did you have to endure working there? What steps have you taken as a business leader to create a positive company culture that people are proud to be part of? On this episode of Inspired Insider, you’ll hear from innovator and business leader, Tom Kulzer. In his conversation with Jeremy, Tom opens up about the company culture at AWeber, some of the challenges he faced along the way, milestones he is proud of, and much more! Yo

Today we have Erika Szychowski, founder of Good Zebra which is a protein-packed animal cracker set out to challenge the snack food industry. Good Zebra has 12 grams of protein per 2-ounce servings, NO refined sugar – it is sweetened with only organic honey and coconut sugar and has no artificial ingredients or preservatives. The 11 unique spirit animals found in Good Zebra are inspired by street and tattoo art, the flavors include vanilla, lemon, and chai with peanut butter and chocolate not far behind. Good Zebra can be found in Peet's Coffee & Tea across the nation, select retailers, on Amazon and on the Good Zebra website. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [1:15] Jeremy introduces his guest, Erika Szychowski. [3:00] Launching a brand in China. [6:30] Erika talks about how she came up with the name, Good Zebra. [18:00] What led Erika to branch out and work in the food industry? [23:00] Leaving the corporate world behind and becoming an entrepreneur. [28:00] Why create an animal cracker product? [3

Today we have Josh Felber, Co-Founder of Primal Life Organics and host of the hit show, Making Bank. Josh is a serial entrepreneur with more than 28 years of starting and growing several multi-million dollar companies (including one with $5 Billion in annual revenues). He is married with 3 kids and has twin boys. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [1:50] Jeremy introduces his guest, Josh Felber. [2:45] Josh talks about his vivid vision for Primal Life Organics. [6:00] Who is on Josh’s top 100 list? [10:30] What is Paleo Pets? [12:45] Josh talks about teaching his kids the entrepreneurial lifestyle. In this episode… What does it look like to pass on and cultivate the entrepreneurial spirit in the next generation of leaders? How can you build up and invest in the young leaders around you? On this episode of Inspired Insider, you’ll hear from innovator and business leader Josh Felber. In his conversation with Jeremy, Josh touches on his vivid vision for Primal Life Organics, who is on his top 100 list to i

Today we have Sarah Chalos co-founder of I Heart Keenwah with Ravi Jolly. I Heart Keenwah makes "superfoods" accessible to consumers with a range of tasty food products, including quinoa based snacks such as Himalayan pink salt chocolate quinoa puffs, peanut butter chocolate quinoa puffs and many more. They can be found in thousands of stores across the U.S. and globally in places like Whole Foods, CVS, 7-11 and of course on Amazon and their website. Before I Heart Keenwah, Sarah studied engineering at MIT, worked in R&D, manufacturing at Abbott Laboratories, earned her MBA at Chicago Booth and consulted for big corporate clients at Bain & Company. The most impressive part is that Sarah does all this while raising 2 kids. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [1:10] Jeremy introduces his guest, Sarah Chalos. [2:30] Juggling life as a professional and a parent. [5:30] How did past business experience help Sarah with launching her startup? [7:30] Why did Sarah go get her MBA? [9:30] How did the idea t

Today we have Aimy Steadman co-founder of Beatbox Beverages who started the company with Justin Fenchel, Jason Schiek, Dan Singer, and Brad Schultz. They were drawn together by their love for music and the entrepreneurial spirit of Austin, Texas. the founders of Beatbox Beverages set out to make the world’s tastiest portable party punch, and since 2011 have grown into a million dollar company with distribution in Krogers, 7-11, Walmart, HEB, Ralphs and many more all over the country. They were even featured on the hit TV show Sharktank! Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [1:20] Jeremy introduces his guest, Aimy Steadman. [3:00] The unique challenges of working in the alcohol industry. [4:00] Putting together a compelling video. [6:00] The lowest moment in business so far. [9:30] Managing stress and keeping a healthy mindset. [11:00] Proud moments on the journey. [13:00] Aimy talks about getting her product into retail stores. In this episode… How do you grapple with stress in the workplace? Have you dis

Franz Jordan is the Co-Founder of Sellics which is a powerful all-in-one tool that combines everything sellers need to be successful on Amazon. Sellics evolved from Franz’s first company Marketplace Analytics, a German data analytics company that was the first of its kind to focus on Amazon SEO back in 2014. You can manage and optimize your Sponsored Product campaigns entirely in the Sellics PPC Manager. Other features include a profit dashboard, keyword ranking optimizer, competitor monitoring, and much more. Companies such as Bosch appliances, Lego, and Brita are some of the businesses that use Sellics.  Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [1:10] Jeremy introduces his guest, Franz Jordan. [2:20] Why did Franz start Sellics? [6:15] Franz explains why he pivoted from his first business. [11:20] What was the first version of Sellics like? [13:00] Landing the first big client and setting a price point. [20:30] What is working to improve rankings on Amazon? What is a super URL? [25:30] How sellers and use a

Today we have Sadie Scheffer founder of Bread SRSLY, it’s the Bay area's first gluten-free sourdough bread company. The company began late in 2011 after a bout of gluten-free sourdough experiments in Sadie's home kitchen. The bread is free of any gluten, eggs, dairy, soy, sugar, tree nuts, peanuts, potatoes and some other things I am missing....but I am sure it is not free of good taste! She began to send 40, 60, 100 loaves out into the world, delivered by ladies on bikes. Most weeks she biked 100 miles plus to get the bread out. They are now found in stores all over California and have expanded into Arizona and Idaho including some regional Whole Foods and Safeways. Production has gone from her home kitchen to their 6th commercial kitchen. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [1:15] Jeremy introduces his guest, Sadie Scheffer. [2:55] Sadie talks about designing new packaging. [8:15] Getting certified gluten-free from the National Celiac Association. [10:30] A low moment in business for Sadie. [14:15] Mile

Today we have Nathan Hirsch Co-Founder of FreeeUp which is a marketplace connecting business owners with the top 1% of freelancers in ecommerce, digital marketing, web development, and much more. They have helped companies like Payability, Sharkk and many ecommerce companies with staffing needs. Over the past 15 years, Nathan has built several successful multi-million dollar businesses. In 2006, he founded his first online venture out of a college dorm room, selling and buying student textbooks and he was able to scale his ecommerce business, bootstrapping from a $20 investment to over $30 million of sales on Amazon across a 6 year period while serving over 10,000 customers. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [1:10] Jeremy introduces his guest, Nathan Hirsch. [2:45] Nathan talks about his time at Firestone and how it impacted him. [5:10] How FreeeUp works to make clients and workers happy. [6:30] What did Nathan learn from watching his mother? [7:50] Nathan talks about his desire to become an entrepreneu

Today we have Jon Olafsson, co-founder of Icelandic Water Holdings. He has spent the last 30 years building successful companies from the ground up and transforming them into industry leaders and he has done this in a variety of fields including entertainment, media, construction and many more. Jon started to build a media and broadcasting portfolio when he founded Skifan, Iceland’s largest music recording and distribution company with distributing rights for a variety of music and film companies such as Sony, Universal, Warner Music, Columbia Pictures, Miramax, 20th Century Fox and more. Jon co-founded the Icelandic Broadcasting Corporation (IBC), before moving into television in 1990, when he took over the Icelandic Television Corporation (ITC). In 1999, Jon merged all of his companies (Skifan and IBC) under one umbrella to form Northern Lights Communications, Inc. (NLC) – Olafsson served as chairman until November 2003 when he sold everything and stepped down to co-found Icelandic Water Holdings with his s

Albert Swantner is an award-winning maker. With a master’s degree in mechanical engineering and a software background, he is able to create products bridging these disciplines. Albert has led projects with companies like Adidas, FOX, Charity Miles, Moxxly, Socrative, and his own angel-funded startup Sway Water, among others. His work has earned companies like Charity Miles a Webby and an SXSW Interactive award, and his work has been covered by Wired UK, The Today Show, Forbes and Fast Company. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [1:10] Jeremy introduces his guest, Albert Swantner. [2:30] Albert talks about working with Adidas and Derrick Rose. [5:50] Working with startups and helping to flesh out creative ideas. [9:00] Albert talks about utilizing AI. [11:00] How the work varies for Albert and his team. [15:30] What led Albert to start Sway Water? [17:30] Some of the first Sway Water flavors and the marketing process. [20:00] Albert talks about getting his product into stores and his logo design. [24:30]

Michael Eldridge is the founder of Safety Glasses USA. His experience as a U.S. Marine veteran, auto mechanic and assembly line technician amplified the importance of vision safety. In 2000, he turned his knowledge into one of the internet's most popular companies for protective eyewear. They have grown to 20+ employees and have supplied protective eyewear and safety equipment to hundreds of thousands of satisfied customers around the world. In 2012, Michael started an online community forum for people interested in EDC (Every Day Carry) called EDC Planet. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [1:15] Jeremy introduces his guest, Michael Eldridge. [2:00] Michael shares some lessons he learned as a Marine. [9:00] What is EDC? [11:30] A low moment in business for Michael. [13:00] Milestones and proud moments along the way. [14:30] Take care of your customer or someone else will! In this episode… Did you know that one of the most important aspects of running a healthy business is providing the best customer s

Today we have the co-founder of Easyship, Tommaso Tamburnotti. He started the company with Augustin Ceyrac and Paul Lugagne Delpon. Easyship is a Hong Kong-based ecommerce platform that aims to simplify logistics for small to medium-sized ecommerce sellers to help them become globally competitive. Easyship works with more than 100 couriers and provides visibility on international shipping regulations, taxes and duties from one account. They have a team of 38 people in four offices around the world and are used by over 15,000 businesses. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [1:35] Jeremy welcomes his guest, Tommaso Tamburnotti. [3:30] What is needed to take your brand global? [5:00] How Easyship helps ecommerce businesses. [10:30] Pain points Tommaso and his team addressed when they started Easyship. [13:30] Tommaso talks about his family and childhood. [15:30] Should ecommerce brands get on Lazada? [19:00] Following the data and incorporating ecommerce platforms along the way. [22:30] Tommaso talks about w

Today we have CEO and founder of Inflow, Mike Belasco. Inflow is a national provider of cutting-edge ecommerce inbound marketing and search engine optimization services including conversion optimization and paid search marketing. Inflow works hard to provide clients with unique and valuable positioning strategies that drive bottom-line results.  Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:45] Jeremy introduces his guest, Mike Belasco. [1:20] How Inflow helps ecommerce sellers. [2:30] Common mistakes that ecommerce leaders are making. [4:30] Mike shares a case study that stands out. [8:00] How can Inflow help with SEO optimization? [9:30] Who should use Inflow? What are some success stories? [12:00] Inflow’s popular services and why Mike started Inflow. [14:00] How does Mike keep a healthy team environment at Inflow? [17:00] Core values at Inflow. [18:20] Asking for help and learning from coaches. [20:20] Milestones reached along the way. In this episode… What does it take to create a holistic ecommerce market

Today we have Eddie Levine co-founder of a wholesale ecommerce and brand management company which he started in 2012 with his business partner Greg Gilpin. They have created a multi-million-dollar ecommerce operation in a short period of time and specialize in purchasing products directly from manufacturers, distributors and brand owners and warehouse them all under their own roof and sell on various channels. If he were not busy enough he has an information and consulting arm of his ecommerce business found at WholesaleBreakthrough.com where he teaches others how to tap into the business opportunity. In his limited free time, he also is Director of Operations for the non-profit Laughs for the Troops which helps raise funds to help increase awareness of traumatic brain injuries and PTSD.  Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [1:20] Jeremy introduces his guest, Eddie Levine. [3:00] Eddie talks about early struggles in business. [5:30] Challenges for brands that want to get into ecommerce. [9:00] Surprising

Today we have Dylan Whitman co-founder of BV Accel - full name Brand Value Accelerator (BVAccel). They are one of the fastest growing Shopify focused agencies in the world. Acquisition + Conversion + Retention which are the three pillars of their ecommerce philosophy and when you go to their site BVAccel.com that is front and center. They provide disruptive ecommerce strategy and implementation and have served high-growth brands including MVMT Watches, Red Bull, Mizzen and Main, Bark Thins, and many more. BVAccel is headquartered in San Diego, California with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Columbus and Mexico and Melbourne. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [1:30] Jeremy introduces his guest, Dylan Whitman. [2:50] Dylan talks about his favorite Shopify apps. [9:30] Why did Dylan decide to focus on solving retention difficulties? [18:30] The future of ecommerce is automation! [20:30] Some helpful subscription apps. [24:30] Where is ecommerce tech going? [27:00] Dylan talks about email service platform

Today we have the co-founder of Easyship, Tommaso Tamburnotti. He started the company with Augustin Ceyrac and Paul Lugagne Delpon. Easyship is a Hong Kong-based ecommerce platform that aims to simplify logistics for small to medium-sized ecommerce sellers to help them become globally competitive. Easyship works with more than 100 couriers and provides visibility on international shipping regulations, taxes, and duties from one account. They have a team of 38 people in four offices around the world and are used by over 15,000 businesses.  Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [1:35] Jeremy welcomes his guest, Tommaso Tamburnotti. [3:15] The decision to spend big on a domain name and plans for the future. [5:00] Were some markets harder to get started in than others? [7:30] The lowest moment in business for Tommaso. [10:45] The proudest moment for Tommaso so far. In this episode… What does it take to help ecommerce businesses expand into new markets? How does an organization help other businesses expand whi

Today we have Amit Bivas, Head of Marketing at Optimove. In addition to serving as a key member of Optimove’s management team, Amit is a seasoned marketing executive with extensive experience planning, developing and executing B2B and B2C marketing strategies from the ground up. Optimove’s mission is to help marketers drive measurable growth by autonomously transforming customer data into actionable insights, which then power thoughtful customer communications, at scale. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:45] Amit Bivas joins the podcast to talk about Optimove. [2:45] How did Optimove get off the ground? [5:00] Who is the ideal client for Optimove? [8:30] Customer success stories. [10:00] Amit talks about partnering with Stitch Fix and onboarding new clients. [12:30] What is it like operating an international business? In this episode… Is there a role for relationship marketing in the ecommerce industry? Would you say that your organization engages in relationship marketing? What if there was a way t

Today we have Dylan Whitman co-founder of BV Accel - full name Brand Value Accelerator (BVAccel). They are one of the fastest growing Shopify focused agencies in the world. Acquisition + Conversion + Retention which are the three pillars of their ecommerce philosophy and when you go to their site BVAccel.com that is front and center. They provide disruptive ecommerce strategy and implementation and have served high-growth brands including MVMT Watches, Red Bull, Mizzen and Main, Bark Thins, and many more. BVAccel is headquartered in San Diego, California with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Columbus and Mexico and Melbourne. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [1:10] Jeremy introduces his guest, Dylan Whitman. [2:30] Dylan talks about the importance of retention. [4:30] What can BV Accel do to help with acquisitions? [7:00] Who are the best fit clients for BV Accel? [10:30] Why many ecommerce businesses struggle with Shopify. [14:30] The lowest point in business for Dylan. [16:00] Landing the first big

Today we have Steve Denner, the co-founder and COO of Adestra. Adestra is an email and marketing automation platform that helps companies take people through a customer journey to give them exactly what they want. They make a distinction that it is a software and a service. I see why because all of the customer videos about Adestra talk about their high touch approach with dedicated account managers. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [1:30] Jeremy introduces his guest, Steve Denner. [2:30] Steve talks about the internet landscape in 2004 and the opportunity he saw. [5:45] Where did the idea for Adestra come from? [9:30] Challenges faced along the way. [11:30] Popular features for Adestra starting out. [17:30] How Steve’s team serves their clients. [23:30] Incorporating customer feedback. [27:00] Why it’s important to hire the right people. What is Scrum Methodology? [30:00] Steve talks about developing an automation suite. [34:30] How are people using Steve’s heat mapping tool? [39:00] Steve talks about

Today we have Tom Montgomery, co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Chubbies Shorts. Chubbies is the most radical shorts company on the planet: an irreverent lifestyle brand focused on revolutionizing the shorts industry. The company revolves around a customer service-focused business model offering free three-day shipping, free returns, social advertising campaigns, and dedicated human customer service lines. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:45] Tom Montgomery joins the podcast to talk about his company, Chubbies. [4:00] What was the first version of Chubbies Shorts like? [6:00] Tom talks about the creative process and surprising products that took off. [8:00] How Tom and his team are innovating when it comes to social media engagement. [9:45] Challenging moments in the business so far. [12:00] Building a healthy team environment with good values and transparency. [15:00] Lessons learned along the way. In this episode… When was the last time your company conducted an audit of its social media